Summer 2010 - Deutsch

in itiative
Issue 2 • Summer 2010
1
The magazine for members of the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
Britische
Parlamentswahlen
2010
Neue konservativ-liberale
Regierungskoalition
SEE PAGE 4
GERMANY INVESTS
SURVEY RESULTS
See pageS 12 & 13
Advice that crosses borders
beratung ohne Grenzen
We work with organisations and companies
from German speaking countries, delivering
pragmatic legal advice that works in today’s
globalised economy.
Wir beraten Organisationen und Unternehmen aus
dem deutschsprachigen Raum. Unser Rechtsrat
ist pragmatisch und schafft Lösungen in einer
globalisierten Welt.
To find out more visit
www.mcgrigors.com
Kontakt:
Carsten Rumberg, Partner
Rechtsanwalt & Solicitor
+44 (0)20 7054 2525
carsten.rumberg@mcgrigors.com
Driven by business. Powered by people
initiative
Looking towards a new era?
The new Conservative / Liberal Democrat
government is now firmly in place and
the tasks ahead are manifold.
A new positive era could be beginning but
this necessitates the forging of productive
relationships with the European Union, its
institutions and the governments of other
Member States. This will be an important task for the coalition as, despite
the past rhetoric with regards to having a more ’constructive’ approach to
Europe from the Conservative side, co-operation and co-ordination are even
more vital as the painful task of restructuring has to start in earnest – not only
in the UK, but also across mainland Europe.
In order to avoid any further strains on intra-EU relations, countries and governments have to be honest to themselves and show a willingness to compromise on some of the wider issues affecting us all. Germany and the UK
can play a leading role as, traditionally, both have been advocates of market
based solutions to economic problems. The recent problems with the Euro
and some Eurozone countries have shown that, despite political willpower,
market mechanisms cannot be circumvented in the long run. If the fundamental approach to running an economy is flawed, a proper adjustment will
eventually need to take place.
From a German perspective, the far more prudent approach to public
finances by David Cameron and George Osborne is welcome as the
Germans often feel left out in the cold when advocating budgetary discipline. From a business perspective, focusing on the key issues will be hugely
beneficial in the medium term. Cutting unnecessary expenditure not only
reduces the public deficit but often also curbs unproductive interference
within the economy.
The German-British business community hopes that the new government will continue Britain’s outward looking approach, whilst making the
necessary adjustments in terms of fiscal discipline and optimising regulation,
so that the UK can become an ever more important partner for Germany in
carrying forward the strategy of a market-based European Union.
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
Director General, German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
CONTENTS
4 Britische Parlamentswahlen 2010
6 CHAMBER AND MEMBERS’ NEWS
7 CHAMBER CONTACTS
11 LEGAL COMMENT – Marketing products to consumers
12 GERMANY INVESTS – Survey Results part 2
14 BUSINESS TO BUSINESS – German companies looking
for representation
15 Statistics & TOOLBOX
contents
sustaining members
3
4 Britische Parlamentswahlen 2010
Neue konservativ-liberale Koalition
im Vereinigten Königreich kündigt
Sparkurs an
Bau eines Hochgeschwindigkeitszugnetzes angestrebt / Energieeffizienz
und Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien
weiter prioritär
Für die neue britische Koalitionsregierung aus
Konservativen (Tories) und Liberaldemokraten
hat die Sanierung des Haushalts oberste
Priorität. Bereits im laufenden Haushaltsjahr
sollen rund 6 Mrd. Pfund eingespart werden.
Wirtschaftsverbände begrüßten, dass die
Konsolidierung des angespannten Haushalts
vor allem durch Ausgabenkürzungen
und weniger durch Steuererhöhungen
erfolgen solle.
Der neue Schatzkanzler, George Osborne,
will binnen 50 Tagen einen so genannten
Notfallhaushalt vorlegen, in dem die geplanten
Kürzungen spezifiziert werden. Sowohl die
Labour-Partei von Ex-Premierminister Gordon
Brown als auch die Liberaldemokraten
hatten sich im Wahlkampf gegen zusätzliche
Sparanstrengungen im laufenden Haushaltsjahr
ausgesprochen, um "die Konjunktur nicht
abzuwürgen". Das britische Budgetdefizit
beläuft sich laut Angaben der Europäischen
Kommission 2010 auf rund 12% (im Verhältnis
zum BIP) und ist damit eines der höchsten aller
EU-27-Länder.
Trotz erhöhten Sparzwangs sieht die
Koalitionsvereinbarung vor, den von der
Labour-Regierung initiierten Ausbau
erneuerbarer Energien und die Verbesserung der
Energieeffizienz weiter voranzutreiben. So sollen die
Renewables Obligation (RO) Order und das System
der Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs)
beibehalten werden, ebenso soll Einspeisetarifen
eine wichtige Rolle zukommen. Seit Anfang April
2010 sind im Vereinigten Königreich Einspeisetarife
für Projekte zur dezentralen Stromerzeugung aus
erneuerbaren Energiequellen ("micro generation
schemes") in Kraft.
Eine weitere wichtige umweltpolitische
Maßnahme sind stärkere Anreize für Projekte zur
Energiegewinnung aus Abfällen durch anaerobe
Gärung. Um die Investitionsanreize in erneuerbare
Energieprojekte und Energieeffizienzvorhaben
für Unternehmen zu erhöhen, soll außerdem ein
Mindestpreis für CO2 eingeführt werden. Hierfür
will sich die neue Regierung auch auf europäischer
Ebene einsetzen.
In der Verkehrspolitik will die Koalition statt auf den
Ausbau des Luftverkehrs auf den Bau eines Netzes
für Hochgeschwindigkeitszüge setzen, das London
mit dem Norden des Landes verbindet. Bereits im
Januar 2009 wurde das Unternehmen High Speed 2
Ltd gegründet, um die Machbarkeit eines derartigen
Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetzes zu überprüfen.
Steffen Ehninger,
Germany Trade
& Invest
Das staatliche Gesundheitssystem NHS soll
von den verstärkten Sparanstrengungen der
neuen Regierung weitgehend ausgenommen
werden. Die Koalitionsvereinbarung sieht vor,
dass die öffentlichen Ausgaben für das NHS für
die Dauer der fünfjährigen Legislaturperiode
von Jahr zu Jahr real steigen.
Die neue Regierung will zudem weitere
Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der
Kreditklemme einleiten. Insbesondere kleine
Unternehmen hatten in den vergangenen
Monaten zunehmend Schwierigkeiten, von
den Banken ausreichend Kredite zu erhalten.
Die neue Regierung will hier durch staatliche
Bürgschaften Abhilfe schaffen. Außerdem
sollen verstaatlichte Banken wie die RBS und die
Lloyds Banking Group dazu verpflichtet werden,
mehr Kredite an KMU zu vergeben. Als weitere
Maßnahme im Banken- und Finanzsektor
hat die neue Regierung angekündigt, eine
unabhängige Kommission einzuberufen, die
eine mögliche Trennung des Bankengeschäfts
in Privatkundenbanken und Investmentbanken
prüfen wird.
Steffen Ehninger,
Germany Trade & Invest
Gesamtwirtschaftliche Prognosen \x{2013} Vereinigtes Königreich 1)
Indikator
BIP
Konsum
.privat
.öffentlich
Bruttoanlageinvestitionen
.Export (Güter & Dienstleistungen)
.Import (Güter & Dienstleistungen)
Durchschnittslöhne (nominal)
Inflationsrate (HICP) 3)
Kurzfristige Kreditzinsen der Bank of England
Wechselkurs £/Euro
Arbeitslosenquote 4)
Öfftl. Verschuldung (% des BIP)
2008
0,5
2009
-4,9
2010 2)
1,2
2011 2)
2,1
0,9
2,6
-3,5
1,1
-0,5
2,6
3,6
5,49
1,26
5,6
52,0
-3,2
2,2
-14,9
-10,6
-11,9
1,4
2,2
1,20
1,12
7,6
68,1
0,6
1,5
-0,9
5,2
5,3
1,4
2,4
0,60
1,16
7,8
79,1
1,5
-1,5
4,4
5,4
4,1
1,6
1,4
1,19
1,20
7,4
86,9
1) Reale Veränderungen gegenüber dem Vorjahr in %, sofern nicht anders angegeben; 2) Prognosen; 3) HICP = harmonised index of
consumer prices; 4) gemäß Eurostat-Definition. Quellen: EU-Kommission, Oxford Economics
6 CHAMBER & MEMBERS’ NEWS
Round-up of chamber events
The Annual Dinner for the Chamber’s
Northern England region was
held on 22 April 2010, at the City Inn
Hotel in Leeds. The Chairman of the
Committee, Mark Green, welcomed
over 30 members and guests. They were
addressed by Guest Speaker Christopher
Dale of BASF plc.
On 23 April 2010, President and CEO of
Robert Bosch UK, Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet,
was Guest of Honour and Speaker at
a business luncheon of the Chamber’s
Midlands region in Birmingham. Around
60 members and guests followed his
speech on the importance of sustainability
and efficiency in production processes and
future development of Robert Bosch UK.
Nigel Wood, Secretary of the German-British Chamber Midlands Committee, David Burrows of Rödl & Partner Ltd, Simon Jonsson of KPMG LLP and
Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet of Robert Bosch Ltd
George Utz Ltd invests
in new storage facilities
Material handling equipment manufacturer George
Utz Ltd has invested substantially in additional storage
facilities at its site at Alfreton, with the construction
of four new silos holding a total of 800 tonnes of bulk
plastic polymers, increasing George Utz’s storage
capacity by 130%. This will eliminate the risk of inventory
shortage and also ensures raw materials can be sourced
when market prices are attractive for projects. George
Utz Ltd is well known as a high quality manufacturer
of returnable materials handling solutions to British
and European industry, across many sectors including
automotive, retail, postal services and distribution. Despite
the recent economic pressures, George Utz has continued
to grow in the UK, both in revenue and number of staff.
Their products include containers and inserts, pallets,
dollies and pallet boxes. www.georgutz.com
Winkhaus opens London office
Winkhaus, a specialist German law firm, has opened their first
international office in London. The firm provides specific legal advice from
its London location and completely manages client’s corporate legal affairs,
ensuring a strong relationship particularly with its German and British
clients. Winkhaus has also established an international co-operative network
with other law firms. www.dirkwinkhaus.com
Present confidently to an international audience
Presenting in a foreign language to an international audience can
be a challenging experience. Avocets Consulting, a London based
company, has therefore developed a special training course for German
and UK based companies to ensure body-language and presentation
style suit a culturally different audience. Participants also improve their
presentation and language skills and are able to choose whether to use
their own presentations throughout the course or to work on case studies.
Tailored to the needs of the clients, the workshops are practical and highly
interactive and even include some “acting” tips. www.avocetsconsulting.com
CHAMBER CONTACTS
Medulla launches Greenax
business software
Marking the launch of Greenax business software solution in the UK, the
business software solution specialists Medulla held a seminar for business
partners at their Daresbury head office. The seminar focused on ‘Rapid
growth through Partner Acquisition’, with Medulla announcing the
availability of an investment funds in order to create integration modules
with key Business Partner software solutions. Greenax business software
provides full control of business processes and supports business evolution
through industry specific reference models. www.medulla-solutions.com
Bavarian Beerhouse Group
opens second London venue
The second Bavarian Beerhouse has opened its doors in London. Located
in the City, right opposite Fenchurch Street Rail Station the Bavarian
Beerhouse Tower Hill has room for almost 300 guests. Just like in Old Street,
where the first Bavarian Beerhouse opened in 2005, the Tower Hill venue
offers the Bavarian Beerhouse’s typical unique combination of excellent
food, great German beer and a rustic atmosphere. Spread over two levels,
the Bavarian Beerhouse Tower Hill is likely to attract a mixed crowd, be
it local office workers, tourists, or those who simply enjoy the authentic
Bavarian atmosphere. www.bavarian-beerhouse.com
Open days at German
Shows and Accumen
Member company German Shows Ltd and Accumen
Display Ltd held a series of open days in late April to
showcase a working example of Anglo-German partnership.
Exhibitors, design agencies and event organisers came to Pitstone
in Hertfordshire to ‘touch and feel’ the wide variety of design
options of the companies’ German exhibition systems. Over the
last two years, German Shows Ltd and Accumen Display Ltd have
been developing a fruitful partnership, offering hi-end modular
exhibition and display solutions to UK and German companies
exhibiting here and in Europe. Mini seminars accompanied the
event which was rounded off by a buffet lunch of English and
German specialities. www.germanshows.co.uk
CHAMBER CONTACTS
Honorary Officers /
Präsidium und Vorstand
Patron / Schirmherr
HE Georg Boomgaarden
Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Germany
President / Präsident
Sir Nigel Broomfield, KCMG
Vice-Presidents / Vizepräsidenten
George W von Mallinckrodt, KBE
Schroders plc
Barry Stickings, CBE
Gerhard Storch
The Rt Hon Lord Walker of
Worcester, MBE, PC
Councillors / Vorstandsmitglieder
Chairman / Vorsitzender
Alan Wood, CBE
Siemens Holdings plc
Vice-Chairperson / Stellv. Vorsitzende
Patricia Godfrey
Nabarro
Councillors / Vorstandsmitglieder
Andreas Berger
Allianz Global
Corporate & Specialty
Robert A Bischof
Vitalize Health Products Ltd
Martin Dawkins
Bayer plc
Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet
Robert Bosch Ltd
Dr Stefan Georg
Bayern LB, London Branch
Andreas Goss
Siemens plc
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
German-British Chamber of Industry
& Commerce
Chris J Maidment
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Guido Paris
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg,
London Branch
Marianne Sammann
Lufthansa German Airlines
Franz W Smet
ACI Group Ltd
Wilfried Steffen
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd
Nigel R Wood
The Wilkes Partnership
Marcus Wuest
Deutsche Bank AG, London
Company Secretary
Chris Putt
Speechly Bircham LLP
Honorary Auditors
PKF (UK) LLP
Management / Geschäftsführung
Dr Ulrich Hoppe
Director General /
Hauptgeschäftsführer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4110
Thesy Lobitzer
PA to Director General / Assistentin
des Hauptgeschäftsführers
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4112
Finance & Organisation
Sabine Marland
Manager Finance & Organisation /
Finanzen und Organisation
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4120
Michaela Böttcher
Finance & Organisation /
Finanzen und Organisation
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4187
Marketing Services
Ian Wivell
Deputy Director General / stellv.
Hauptgeschäftsführer
Head of Marketing Services /
Leiter Marketing Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4150
Sven Riemann
Manager Marketing Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4185
Marguerite McCaughan
Marketing Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4183
Jana Lindner
Press & Public Relations /
Presse- & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4188
Members’ Services
Evelyn Mensah
Manager Membership & Events /
Mitgliedschaft & Veranstaltungen
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4145
Kerstin Tamminga
Membership & Events /
Mitgliedschaft & Veranstaltungen
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4146
Legal & Tax Services / Rechts- und
Steuerabteilung
Angelika Baumgarte
Deputy Director General / stellv.
Hauptgeschäftsführerin
Head of Legal & Tax Services / Leiterin
der Rechts- und Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4140
Martin Fischer
Manager Legal Services /
Rechtsabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4141
Alexander Altmann
Manager Tax Services /
Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4166
Anja Reeves
Manager Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4161
Nastaran Amidi
Michael Dickert
Verena Gronewold
Elisabeth Marks
Christopher Otto
Katrin Voran
Tax Services / Steuerabteilung
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4160
For details of the Chamber’s
regional committees please email
members@ahk-london.co.uk
7
8 events diary
SPRING
RECEPTION 2010
On 25 March 2010, the Members' Spring Reception was held at the
German-British Chamber. Over 130 members and guests gathered
to enjoy a variety of German beers and discuss with business
partners and associates both the challenges of the year so far
and the opportunities for the future. The event was sponsored
by Lufthansa German Airlines who kindly donated a raffle prize
of two business class Lufthansa flights to Germany and also The
Cavendish Hotel who donated a raffle prize of an overnight stay for
two including breakfast at their hotel.
Andrew Hunter of DHL Global Mail (UK) Ltd and
Richard Priestley of Giles Travel Ltd
Natalie Bartram of Baker Tilly Tax and Accounting Limited and Vanessa
Whittall of International Herald Tribune
Stephan Buck of Preiskel & Co LLP, Verena von Treskow of
The Cavendish Hotel and Dr Ulrich Hoppe, German-British
Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Christopher Smout of Euro
London Appointments
and James Flood Exact
Software Ltd
Anthony Twumasi Ameyaw and Hitesh Mavadia both from Wealth Without Illth Ltd
events diary
9
Dr Klaus Peter Fouquet of Robert Bosch Ltd and Ina Fouquet with Christian Kalinke of BMW Financial Services (GB) Ltd
Tom Maes of Lufthansa German Airlines, Dr Ulrich Hoppe German-British
Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Glen Farmer of Alliance Hotels Ltd
Michael Grünert of Michael Grünert consulting, Claudio Novello of Claudio
Novello Architects and Holger Perrey of Commerzbank AG, London Branch
10 Chamber News / Events Calendar
German packaging workshop
On 20 May 2010, the GermanBritish Chamber held a workshop
on German packaging legislation, together
with Landbell AG, one of the leading
compliance schemes in Germany.
Dieter Arning, Member of the Board of
Landbell AG (pictured) gave an informative
Dieter Arning of
presentation on the recent changes to the
Landbell AG
German Packaging Ordinance and the duties of
companies arising from it. Around 20 participants then learned more
about registration of packaging and calculation of fees from Ian Wivell,
the Chamber’s environmental specialist.
As every company exporting consumer products needs to register
with one of the many compliance schemes operating in Germany,
the participants were very keen to discuss their specific needs and
experiences not only during the workshop, but also in between
presentations over coffee.
EVENTS
CALENDAR
Thursday 1 July 2010
Presentation by Baker Tilly
‘Tax and the New Politics – a UK Budget
round-up’
Venue: German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce,
16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB
Time: 17:15–18:30
Cost: Complimentary
Further information and registration:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
Thursday 8 July 2010
East Midlands Region Summer Reception
Chamber welcomes new councillor
Klaus Rudolph was elected as a councillor at the Chamber’s Annual
General Meeting. Klaus has been Chief Financial Officer for the UK and
Ireland at Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd since 2008. After joining Boehringer
Ingelheim in 1995 as a financial analyst, he held various positions within
the company, both in Germany and abroad. Prior to moving to the UK,
he was Chief Financial Officer for Boehringer Ingelheim in Portugal. Klaus
holds a degree in economics from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
“Successful in Germany” – London
seminar for British entrepreneurs
The German-British Chamber
Participants networking
organised another “Successful in
Germany” seminar on 23 March
2010 at the German Embassy in
London. Around 60 participants
heard presentations on all aspects of
entering the German market – from
market-entry strategies to legal and
tax issues together with a case study
from Wincanton GmbH. The event focused on North Rhine-Westphalia, one of
the most important economic regions in Germany. NRW Invest, the regional
development agency, sponsored the event together with Taylor Wessing. The
German-British Chamber is holding another entrepreneurial seminar in June,
this time in Berlin – “Erfolgreich in Großbritannien” concentrates on entering
the UK market (more information on our website).
Tobias Neufeld
talks about legal
and tax issues
Venue: Fellows Morton and Clayton Bar, 54 Canal Street,
Nottingham NG1 7EH
Time: 17:30–20:00
Cost: Complimentary
Further information and registration:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
Tuesday 21 September 2010
IHK-Außenwirtschaftstag Nordrhein-Westfalen
Venue: Messe- und Congresszentrum der Halle Münsterland
Time: 8:30–17:00
Cost: €110 per participant
Further information and registration:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
Thursday 23 September 2010
Members’ Autumn Reception
Venue: German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce, 16
Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB
Time: 18:00–20:30
Cost: Complimentary – For member and their guests only
Further information and registration:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
Tuesday 26 October and
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Global Connect — Forum für internationale
Kontakte und Investitionen
Venue: Messe Stuttgart (Flughafen)
Time: 9:00–18:00
Cost: to be announced
Further information and registration:
http://www.messe-stuttgart.de/cms/global10-start.0.html
Please see our website for
registrations and updates on events:
www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
legal comment
Advertise
in initiative
Initiative magazine is the perfect
vehicle to reach decision makers
connected to the German-British
Chamber both here in the UK and
in Germany.
Marketing products to
consumers and businesses
in Germany — what is an
“unacceptable nuisance”?
UK companies wanting to sell their products in Germany need
to know how they can approach their potential customers in a
way that is compliant with German competition law. Despite the ongoing
Europeanisation of the law, German law still contains some pitfalls for UK businesses. One of these pitfalls is the concept of “unacceptable nuisances”. German
law stipulates that “unacceptable nuisances” are always unfair competition and
an advertiser using illegal practices can be sued under the German Act against
Unfair Competition. But what exactly is an unacceptable nuisance?
As well as reaching clients and
partners of the Chamber, the
magazine is read by key people in
government departments, associations and other companies within the
German-British business community.
Published three times a year with a targeted circulation of
1,500 you can be sure that your advert will be highly visible
as we restrict advertising space.
You can buy half, quarter and whole pages… or for maximum
exposure, exclusive sponsorship of one issue (members only),
which includes two one-page adverts and a one-page article
(page 11) plus a suitable ‘company picture’ (1/2 page) on the
front cover.
To discuss your advertising needs in detail, please contact:
Ian Wivell
German-British Chamber of Industry
& Commerce
16 Buckingham Gate
London SW1E 6LB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4150
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101
Email: press@ahk-london.co.uk
The relevant law (section 7 of the Act Against Unfair Competition) has
recently been amended and offers a relatively high degree of clarity. First,
there is a general definition of "unacceptable nuisance": advertising, no
matter which form it takes, when the advertiser knows or should know that
the recipient does not want it. It is irrelevant whether or not the recipient is
a consumer or a business!
Moreover, the Act contains four more specific examples that describe practices
that are always illegal. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, and unless
otherwise indicated, applies to all recipients, i.e. consumers and businesses:
1.Cold calling consumers by telephone without their consent and cold
calling non-consumers without their presumed consent.
2.Advertising using a message where the identity of the sender is disguised
or concealed or where no valid return address is given to which the
recipient may send a request to cease communications, without incurring
costs other than the transmission costs based on the basic tariff.
initiative is the official membership magazine of the German-British Chamber
and is published three times a year.
Publisher:
German-British Chamber
of Industry & Commerce
16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4100
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101
Email: mail@ahk-london.co.uk
Web: www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk
www.ahk-london.co.uk
11
Editorial & Advertising
Jana Lindner
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4188
Ian Wivell
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4150
Email: press@ahk-london.co.uk
The reproduction in whole or in part of any material published in initiative
requires the prior written consent of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept
any liability for the accuracy or the completeness of any material published in
initiative. Opinions expressed in initiative do not necessarily reflect the views
of the German-British Chamber.
The German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce is supported by the
Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in accordance with a Resolution
of the German Parliament.
3.Sending commercials to consumers in an obstinate fashion using communication devices other than those mentioned in Nos. 1, 2 and 4, despite
the fact that the consumer does not wish to receive such communication.
4.It is also illegal to contact anyone using an automated calling system, fax
or email without the recipient’s prior consent. There is one exception,
though: direct marketing by emails is not regarded as unfair competition if:
•the advertiser has obtained the relevant customer email address in the
context of a sale of a product or a service,
•the advertiser uses these contact details for direct marketing of similar
goods or services he offers,
•the customer does not expressly object and
•the advertiser points out clearly (first when the email address is collected
and each subsequent time he uses the email address) that the customer
can object to the further use of the email address at any time and without
incurring costs other than the transmission costs based on the basic tariff.
If they find out about an infringement of section 7, competitors and some
other associations can apply for an injunction if the advertiser uses any of
the above mentioned illegal marketing tools.
Martin Fischer LL.M
Legal Adviser, German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
12 germany invests
Germany Invests
Trends and Views on Direct Investment by German Companies in the United Kingdom
The German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce promotes trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Germany. As part
of this function, a comprehensive survey about the trends and views of German subsidiaries in the United Kingdom is carried out on a regular
basis. The most recent survey was conducted in 2009. Over 100 companies responded.
The survey highlights the current trends in direct investment by German companies in the UK and investigates factors such as turnover,
employment and market focus as well as trends on future developments. In this issue we conclude the publishing of the results and findings.
IV. German subsidiaries in the UK — Reasons for
investing, mode of entry, time to reach profitability
and the image of being a German owned company
IV.3 Profitability
The time scale in which newly set up subsidiaries reach profitability
is very short. Nearly 70 per cent of the companies are profitable after
three years in business.
IV.1 Reasons for investing in the UK
As in our previous surveys, market driven factors are the most
important ones that influence an investment decision. Amongst
them, increasing market shares in the UK and expansion into other
market segments became increasingly significant over the past years.
The success of the European market is in part due to the fact that
regulations regarding tax, the labour market or regulatory environment
only play a minor role in investing in the UK.
…after 1 year
45%
…after 5 years
18%
…after 3 years 23%
59%
IV.4 Image of being German owned
40%
8% 8%
6%
5%
EU/national/regional/local/
government assistance
11%
Regulatory environment
Outlook for your particular
branch of industry
Expansion of business into
other market segments
Targeted increase in market
share in the UK
Overall importance of
the UK as a market
17%
Tax system/tax incentives
20%
20
Labour market laws
40
Labour costs
45%
Labour skills
60
0
…after 7 years 7%
70%
Export potential with the
UK as an export base
80
… not yet 7%
“Made in Germany” is apparently not seen as a major selling point by
German subsidiary companies. Nearly 60 per cent believe German
ownership is neither advantageous nor detrimental.
70
57%
60
50
40
40%
30
20
IV.2 Type of investment in the UK
The UK still seems to be an attractive location to invest in greenfield
developments. Compared to our last survey, the percentages have not
changed and mergers and acquisitions remain the least popular type
of investment when German companies set up operations. This would
suggest that subsidiaries are seen as a long-term commitment.
10
0
2%
German ownership
is an advantage
German ownership
is a disadvantage
German ownership
neutral
V. Company Performance
Joint Venture 13%
V.1 Company performance compared to other British companies
in the same industry sector
Mergers &
Aquisitions
29%
Greenfield
58%
The vast majority of German subsidiaries state that they perform as
well or better than other British companies in their industry sector.
The two factors considered in the survey were labour productivity and
financial performance.
Germany invests
VI.2 Future trends – opportunities
73%
When asked about trends for the next three years nearly all participants
stress the importance of the British economy’s growth rate for further
development. Investment in infrastructure as well as improved labour
skills and advantageous operating costs are seen as a chance for
further growth.
70
Labour productivity
Financial performance
53%
50
40
32%
30
21%
20
UK growth rate picks
up after financial crisis
13%
Largely above
average
UK becoming a global
market place
23%
Increase in infrastructure
investment
25%
4%
3% 3%
0
Above average
Average
Below average
86%
Improved government
incentives
V.2 Company performance compared to similar operations
of the parent company in other countries
As well as their performance in comparison with other companies
in the British market, German subsidiaries are well aware of their
performance when compared to similar operations in other countries.
Nearly all of them evaluate their labour productivity and financial
performance as being above or on average.
50
44%
40
Labour productivity
42%
Financial performance
37%
29%
30
20
16%
12%
9% 9%
10
Largely above
average
13%
UK not being part
of Euro zone
9%
Advantageous
operating costs
12%
0
20
40
60
80
100
VI.3 Future trends – threats
Whereas nearly all German subsidiaries see the effects of the financial
crisis as an opportunity, about two thirds believe them to be a threat.
Compared to 2007, more companies also see a lack in infrastructure as
a risk for further development. The UK not being part of the Euro zone
is also seen as a threat for the next three years by nearly half of the
participants (2007: 10%).
80
70
66%
60
50
0
11%
Skills availability/labour
market flexibility
Above average
Average
Below average
45%
40
40%
40%
35%
30
19%
20
11%
10
VI. Support resources and Future Trends
5%
Increased regulation
Lack of infrastructure investment
Rise of labour costs
Nearly half of the German subsidiaries would like to receive more
advice on skills availability and support in training their personnel. Less
important seems to the support on finding suitable premises when
starting a new operation.
UK not being part of Euro zone
VI.1 Desired governmental support
Effects of financial crisis
0
Lengthened supply chain
10
Lack of governmental assistance
60
Shortage of labour skills
80
50
44%
40
30
24%
20
16%
10
6%
0
Financial
support
13
Advice on
properties and
sites
Connecting
with local
partners
Advice on skills
availability &
training support
Britain Invests
If you found the results of our survey on trends and views
on direct investment by German companies in the United
Kingdom useful, you might be interested in „Britain Invests“.
During the last months we carried out a similar survey asking
British subsidiary companies in Germany similar questions
about their current market reflection and their future plans.
The most significant results will be published in our next issue
in November 2010.
14 business to business
initiative provides a regular listing of companies in both the UK
and Germany who are seeking B2B partners and representatives
Business Partners from Germany / Geschäftspartner aus Deutschland
Single Source Perforation and
Component Solutions
Industrial Process-Machinery Manufacturer
With experience for over 120 years, we offer Perfection in Perforation
worldwide: Drilled, milled, punched, ConiPerf®, laser and electron beam
perforated plates, processed to engineered components ready for
installation. Our products are employed in screening and separation
processes, size reduction and drying. Full product training as well as
reliable marketing, sales and technical support is provided. For further
information, please contact: Mr Markus Klemm, Andritz Fiedler
GmbH, Weidener Strasse 9, 93057 Regensburg, Germany;
T: +49 941 6401 130; F: +49 941 6401 302; E: markus.klemm@
andritz.com; Web: www.andritz.com/PerfTec
German machine manufacturer of high-quality demanding products
is looking for a sales representative to establish local presence on the
UK market. Task area: Acquisition of new customers and support of our
clients, counseling of the whole product range, acquisition of market
data. The agent should provide technical product knowledge for
example in pumps or similar products as well as existing contacts to
potential customers. For further information, please quote ref:
DP-0318912 and contact: Marguerite McCaughan, German-British
Chamber of Industry & Commerce, 16 Buckingham Gate, London,
SW1E 6LB, Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4183, Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101,
Email: partner.search@ahk-london.co.uk
La Siesta — The World of The Hammock
Electrical Muscle Stimulation
As a specialist in the hammock industry, La Siesta (www.lasiesta.com)
has become a premium brand with products that satisfy the highest
demands on quality. Our sales are equally strong in the outdoor, gift
and children sector. We work with retailers, sophisticated garden
centres, catalogue senders and online shops. We are looking for a
distributor with good contacts to this customer base. Ideally you
would be able to handle all logistics for our/your business customers
and consumers in the UK. For further information please contact:
Ms Buschmann, La Siesta GmbH, Im Wiesenweg 4, 55270 Jugenheim,
Germany; Tel: 0049 (0)6130 911919, Fax: 0049 (0)6130 911910,
Email: info@lasiesta.com, W: www.lasiesta.com
Designed and manufactured in Germany to the highest of standards,
miha bodytec is an innovative world first in training devices and has
been scientifically proven to deliver visible and tangible results in a short
amount of time. The EMS unit is used by in a variety of industries to
improve performance (sports), slim, tone and shape (health, beauty and
wellness), to reduce weight and to reduce aches and pains (everyone
else!) and has a proven rate of success with longlasting results. For
further information, please quote ref: MBTG-10 and contact: Marguerite
McCaughan, German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce,
16 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6LB, Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 4183,
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 4101, Email: partner.search@ahk-london.co.uk
Centrifugal Castings:
Reliable Steel Solutions
German foundry specialized in centrifugal casting of high-grade
steel parts looks for an agent for Great Britain. Product-line includes
corrosion, acid, heat, wear and tear resistant materials manufactured
according to DIN, ASTM or customer specifications. No fixed price or
stock list, because every component is manufactured according to
customers design. A significant number of European steel processing
companies belong to our clientele and benefit from our 50 years
of experience. For further information, please contact: Mr Peter
Mönsters, Klaus Kuhn Edelstahlgießerei GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße
12-14, 42477 Radevormwald, Germany. Tel: +49 (0)2195 671 –
930; Fax: +49 (0) 2185 671 – 49; Web: www.kuhn-edelstahl.de;
Email: p.moensters@kuhn-edelstahl.com
statistics & toolbox
statistics
TOOLBOX
Winning clients
in Germany
British exports 2009
14.9%
USA
10.7%
Germany
7.9%
Netherlands
7.5%
France
Republic of
Ireland
7.0%
Belgium &
Luxembourg
4.9%
0
5
10
15
20
Source: Office for National Statistics, 2010
One platform to communicate with potential clients is through
a trade fair. Over three hundred trade fairs take place in Germany
each year and are listed on the Association of German Trade
Fair Industry's website www.auma.de. Trade fairs are much
more than a showcasing event; they are a way of nurturing
contacts and, with follow-up after the event, turning them into
clients. The recent changes in marketing regulations mean that
cold calling (or emailing or faxing) companies without their
presumed consent is not allowed, so meeting clients at a trade
fair is an ideal way to increase contacts.
German exports 2009
10.2%
France
Netherlands
6.7%
USA
6.7%
6.6%
UK
6.4%
Italy
6.0%
Austria
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank, 2010
British imports 2009
12.0%
Germany
9.7%
China
7.4%
USA
6.6%
Netherlands
6.2%
France
4.8%
Norway
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Source: Office for National Statistics, 2010
German imports 2009
8.7%
Netherlands
8.3%
China
8.2%
France
USA
6.0%
Italy
6.0%
0
2
4
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank, 2010
6
Another method to finding clients is to take advantage of two
platforms for tenders in Germany. The first is through Tenders
Electronic Daily, the online version of the 'Supplement to the
Official Journal of the European Union' http://ted.europa.eu, which
covers all tenders in the EU. The site is suited to larger projects and
is multilingual for ease of navigation. The second is Vergabe24
(www.vergabe24.de), which is the tender portal exclusively for
Germany and offers smaller projects than those in TED.
An alternative way to gain clients is to work in co-operation with
a partner. Agents, distributors and wholesalers in Germany will
help sell products and/or services and can also be invaluable
for their assistance regarding cultural differences, their insider
knowledge and previous experience of the market. The
National Association of German Commercial Agencies &
Distribution (www.cdh.de) is the first port of call for acquiring
an agent in Germany, while distributors and wholesalers can be
found through database and internet research.
Combining the different marketing strategies is the ideal method
to provide new leads and clients, however a cultural difference
between the UK and Germany remains. Germany has many familyowned companies which are in general risk averse and so business
decisions may take a little longer than would be usual in the UK. The
advantage however is that once a decision has been made in your
favour that decision is unlikely to change for some years.
Sven Riemann, Marketing Manager, German-British Chamber of
Industry and Commerce
5.0%
UK
In 2009 British companies exported over £24 bn of goods
and services to Germany making it the second largest export
market for the British economy. As it is the largest market
in Europe, exporting to Germany can be quite a challenge.
After spotting a gap in the market, deciding to take up the
challenge, and ensuring your products and services adhere
to the relevant German regulations, the next step is winning
your business clients.
8
10
15
Erobern Sie Großbritannien
– wir haben das Know-how
Erwarten Sie mehr von Ihrem internationalen Postdienstleister.
Wenn Sie in London in ein Taxi steigen, können Sie sich darauf verlassen, dass der
Fahrer weiß, wie er Sie auf direktem Weg zu Ihrem Ziel bringt. Zu verdanken ist dies
der Tatsache, dass jeder „Cabby“-Fahrer Londons, bevor er sich ans Steuer setzt,
einen Test absolvieren muss, der unter Insidern „The Knowledge“ heißt – zu
Deutsch: „Das Wissen“. Wer diesen Test bestehen will, muss alle 25.000 Straßen
innerhalb eines bestimmten Radius von London kennen.
Auch die Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter von Spring kennen sich auf ihren Wegen
quer durch Großbritannien bestens aus. Und als Sales Agent der Royal Mail können
wir Ihnen dieselben umfangreichen Postdienstleistungen anbieten wie sie alle
Kunden innerhalb Großbritanniens genießen. Ihre Vorteile: Know-how, lokales
Auftreten im Zielland und natürlich eine zuverlässige Zustellung.
Rufen Sie uns an – gerne beraten wir Sie persönlich: 0 22 03 – 97 85 517
www.springglobalmail.de
Creative solutions,
reliably delivered